Hemed determined to achieve Premier League goal

Tomer Hemed says promotion to the Premier League would be one of the best moments of his career but he is not looking that far ahead just yet.

Albion are top of the Championship and could seal a return to the top flight of English football for the first time since 1983 this weekend.

The Seagulls will be promoted if they win at Wolverhampton Wanderers tomorrow and at home to Wigan Athletic on Monday, and third-placed Huddersfield fail to win both games.

Hemed won the Israeli League with Maccabi Haifa in 2010/11 and when asked what reaching the Premier League would mean, he said: “It could be one of the best moments for me in my career.

“It’s still difficult for me to answer because it would be to already talk about promotion. We prefer not to speak about it already and to say it but, of course, it’s something that was my target when I came here.

“In my career, I’ve had many times when I’ve put some targets in front of me and I’ve got it. This is the next one for me and I really want to achieve it. We are a very good group and we deserve it but we need to stay focused and not think about it too much. We just have to think about how we win the next game.”

Hemed joined Brighton in the summer of 2015, after Albion had finished 20th the previous season, but he never had any doubt the Seagulls would be fighting it out at the top end of the table.

He said: “I had the confidence and I spoke with the people I needed to and they gave me a good feeling that it is the right place for me and the right time to come.

“I think it was the right decision. When I came here, I saw how huge this club was and from the first day, it felt like a Premier League club.

“It felt like a family and I had a feeling that it was the right place for me and I’m happy that I took that decision.

“Now I just want to finish the season in the best way to achieve our target.”

Don't miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you'll be amongst the first to know what's going on.